Montreal Canadiens: Who Is Gerry Fleming, How Will He Help David Reinbacher?

The Montreal Canadiens made a critical decision for their 2023 fifth overall selection when they decided to send him back to Switzerland for the 2023-24 season.

It was one that they had an inside track on; seeing as Kloten’s head coach, Gerry Fleming, is a former Habs player. He could be the gift that keeps on giving and will be a massive part of David Reinbacher’s development over the next year.

Fleming was a guest on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro and, among other things, the pair discussed the development plan for Reinbacher. Surely, Kent Hughes has already had these conversations, so he felt confident in sending his prized defender back to Europe. As a former Canadien who grew up in LaSalle, Quebec, Fleming has plenty of ties to the Canadiens.

Stephane Robidas, one of the Canadiens assistant coaches, who oversees the defence brigade was coached by Fleming. He played alongside Rob Ramage for the Habs, and his first captain as a coach in Tallahassee, Fla, was Laval Rocket bench boss J.F. Houle. Kelly Buchberger also coached on and off, alongside Fleming for the Edmonton Oilers for roughly seven seasons, so his roots run deep.

Maxim Lapierre, another former Canadien, was Marinaro’s guest on the sick podcast on Tuesday night, and he emphasized that Switzerland was a great place for Reinbacher to play this season. Lapierre and Marinaro listed many NHL players, current and former that played in the Swiss NL, including Patrice Bergeron, Joe Thornton, and Auston Matthews, and needless to say, these guys got their starts there and look what they achieved.

Lapierre also further stated that he feels the NL is a stronger league than the AHL, simply because they are older and have more experience playing professionally than their AHL counterparts.

Needless to say, Reinbacher is in good hands when he joins the Canadiens, but he will get the exact level of competition in Switzerland that will allow him to grow into the defender he wants to be. A second season with Kloten should give Reinbacher more confidence to do different things with the puck and take advantage of his great mobility more often. Fleming believes that the NL is one of the best leagues under the NHL because of the speed of the game, players’ poise with the puck and the blend of young guys and veterans.

The Swiss league plays a smaller schedule than the NHL, with time off for the Spengler Cup, which, if Reinbacher is playing number one defenseman minutes with Kloten, he will likely play in it.

Depending on scheduling, Reinbacher may also get to represent his home Austria at the 2024 World Juniors second tier tournament; which will be hosted in Hungary in December. His skating ability is already brilliant, and his underrated offensive game is going to continue developing, something that Fleming believes, he also said that Reinbacher reads the rush very well, which allows him to be in a strong defensive position at all times.

Fleming was asked to discuss what he thought stood out about Reinbacher, and his all-around player was touched on, because of how strong it is. Something that stood out, was that he mentioned how great Reinbacher’s shot is, something he didn’t get to show a lot of. In Montreal the big slapshot has long been a staple on the blue line, and the power play specifically, with P.K. Subban and Shea Weber on it, made Canadiens fans fall in love with the big-shot defenders.

The shortened schedule in Switzerland will give Reinbacher more time to train during the season, and the Canadiens sent him off with a plan for the season. He will work closely with Kloten’s strength and conditioning coach, which will help improve his shot and ability to handle bigger players along the boards and in front of the net. According to Fleming, he will also be on a program that helps make his skating stride and acceleration more explosive.

The Jeff Petry comparison was taken out of context, in my opinion, but at just 18 years old, to draw similarities to a veteran who was the Habs’ number one defender on and off for years. I could understand the disappointment if his trajectory for his prime was that of Petry, but at 18 to draw those comparisons is very impressive. Settle down Habs fans, Reinbacher is in good hands, and his development is of the utmost importance.

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